Edgar Markov's Eminence of the Blood

Commander / EDH Aristocrats Competitive RBW (Mardu) Sacrifice Tokens Vampires

AsteriskReaper

Creature (36)

• 1x Anje, Maid of Dishonor
• 1x Anowon, the Ruin Sage
• 1x Bartolome del Presidio
• 1x Blood Artist
• 1x Bloodghast
• 1x Bloodline Necromancer
• 1x Butcher of Malakir
• 1x Captivating Vampire
• 1x Champion of Dusk
• 1x Cordial Vampire
• 1x Cruel Celebrant
• 1x Drana, Liberator of Malakir
• 1x Edgar, Charmed Groom  ^Flip
• 1x Elenda, the Dusk Rose
• 1x Falkenrath Noble
• 1x Forerunner of the Legion
• 1x Gifted Aetherborn
• 1x Legion Lieutenant
• 1x Malakir Bloodwitch
• 1x Oathsworn Vampire
• 1x Pulse Tracker
• 1x Purphoros, God of the Forge
• 1x Sanctum Seeker
• 1x Scion of Opulence
• 1x Stromkirk Captain
• 1x Twilight Prophet
• 1x Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
• 1x Vampire Nighthawk
• 1x Vampire of the Dire Moon
• 1x Vicious Conquistador
• 1x Vindictive Vampire
• 1x Viscera Seer
• 1x Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter
• 1x Vona, Butcher of Magan
• 1x Welcoming Vampire
• 1x Yahenni, Undying Partisan

Planeswalker (1)

• 1x Sorin Markov

Land (33)

• 1x Arid Mesa
• 1x Badlands
• 1x Blood Crypt
• 1x Bloodstained Mire
• 1x Cavern of Souls
• 1x Clifftop Retreat
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Dragonskull Summit
• 1x Evolving Wilds
• 1x Fetid Heath
• 1x Godless Shrine
• 1x Graven Cairns
• 1x Isolated Chapel
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Maze of Ith
• 1x Mountain
• 1x Path of Ancestry
• 1x Phyrexian Tower
• 1x Plains
• 1x Plateau
• 1x Reflecting Pool
• 1x Sacred Foundry
• 1x Savai Triome
• 1x Scrubland
• 1x Secluded Courtyard
• 1x Strip Mine
• 3x Swamp
• 1x Terramorphic Expanse
• 1x Unclaimed Territory
• 1x Wasteland
• 1x Winding Canyons

Enchantment (4)

• 1x Anointed Procession
• 1x Impact Tremors
• 1x Smothering Tithe
• 1x The Meathook Massacre

Commander (1)

Artifact (10)

• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Chrome Mox
• 1x Herald's Horn
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Orzhov Signet
• 1x Phyrexian Altar
• 1x Rakdos Signet
• 1x Sensei's Divining Top
• 1x Skullclamp
• 1x Sol Ring

Instant (8)

• 1x Angel's Grace
• 1x Chaos Warp
• 1x Oblation
• 1x Path to Exile
• 1x Rakdos Charm
• 1x Settle the Wreckage
• 1x Swords to Plowshares
• 1x Teferi's Protection

Sorcery (7)

• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Diabolic Intent
• 1x Diabolic Tutor
• 1x Exsanguinate
• 1x Read the Bones
• 1x Winds of Abandon
• 1x Wrath of God

---

Maybeboard

Enchantment (7)

• 1x Black Market Connections
• 1x Cover of Darkness
• 1x Nevermore
• 1x Reconnaissance
• 1x Smuggler's Share
• 1x Tocasia's Welcome
• 1x Warleader's Call

Artifact (1)

• 1x Mox Diamond

Instant (4)

• 1x Baleful Mastery
• 1x Plumb the Forbidden
• 1x Vampiric Tutor
• 1x Withering Boon

Creature (2)

• 1x Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
• 1x Nighthawk Scavenger

Sorcery (3)

• 1x Harsh Mercy
• 1x Olivia's Wrath
• 1x Patriarch's Bidding

Land (2)

• 1x Prismatic Vista
• 1x Verdant Catacombs

---

** the Deck of Value**

History

So, I bought this deck the weekend before one of our LGS' started a Commander League, the main rule of deck construction for the league was that if there is more than one infinite combo, then it was considered "competitive". At first there were only minor changes, I had some good vampires, some stuff I had from Zendikar, a Purphoros, and worked on the Land base. This deck then went nearly undefeated in Commander League, losing only to the other nearly undefeated player (I think he was running Gitrog Toad at the time). When ever we played, it would turn into a 50/50 chance game. Against everyone else, it was 95% easily. All the while, dropping the mana curve as low as possible, working on the one infinite combo ( Sanguine Bond/Exquisite Blood ) and get the mana base set. By the end of League, I was tied for first, everyone hated the phrase "Everyone but me, Take four" (Purphoros is the GOAT!) and able to get some harder to find cards for the deck and some other decks ( Sensei's Divining Top, Mana Vault , Lord of the Undead (for my Zombie deck),among other stuff and all that I was realistically needing for land were Revised Duals (Right like I could afford those LOL. At the time Underground Sea was only $250, so the idea was not out the the question, but unlikely).

By the end, of league we all knew how oppressive and non-interaction needed this deck was; So, next league did second place with Tuvasa Enchantress and only pulled out Edgar when someone needed to be taught a lesson (No one needed to be taught a second lesson). So, I would refine and refine until it would take 2 or 3 days to find a spot for any new cards.

Eventually, I go to Magic Fest Memphis 2019 (we all know how bad that one was...), bought all the legendries for Jodah Superfriends and finished off a Atraxa Planeswalkers deck. Low and behold, what do I find affordably? the last 2 revised lands I needed, (I already had a Scrubland) Badlands and Plateau, Badlands being $47 at the time and Plateau I think was $60 for some random Legacy reason.

BANG! the deck was now complete.

So what Does Edgar Do?

Eminence — Whenever you cast another Vampire spell, if Edgar Markov is in the command zone or on the battlefield, create a 1/1 black Vampire creature token.

This Effect is the MVP of the deck. All I have to do is cast Vampires? Hey! I was already planning on doing that? And I get a 1/1 Vampire Token on top on my original Vampire? ...Yes.

So how do I abuse this effect? Well, that's my Plan A. Sit back and Abuse.

First strike, haste

A good, solid set of keywords. If he did not have his Eminence effect, I would prefer to have Flying, Lifelink, Deathtouch, and Vigilance. I won't complain. Haste is my Plan B.2 drop Edgar and Finish.

Whenever Edgar Markov attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on each Vampire you control.

Plan B.2 drop Edgar, pump my vampires as I finish everyone off with aggro... Assuming Plan A doesn't do that... And it almost always does.

Deck construction rules

So, as I started to build the deck I set up some rules for myself

Rule 1: # No non-Vampire creatures.

Purphoros does not count, he will never be a creature expect at casting.

Rule 2: # Only Vampire creatures can replace creatures. Enchantments, Artifacts, Instants, and Sorceries cannot replace creatures in this deck.

Rule 3: # when it comes to the mana curve, I cannot have more of the next higher CMC than the previous. So if I have 3 CMC five drops, I cannot have 4 CMC six drops. My seven drops are an exception to the rule, I am very stingy about what I will be putting into to the six CMC slot. There are many options that seem good, but aren't.

Rule 4: # Keep that mana curve LOW. The Lower the better.

Game Plan

Plan A:

Purphoros, God of the Forge and Impact Tremors I do NOT cast Edgar... Let me say that again, I DO NOT CAST Edgar. Why? Because his Eminence effect is so powerful, I don't need to. just by casting a single vampire, I get two. Count them TWO vampires. The original and a 1/1 token. Tack on Purphoros, suddenly just by casting a one drop, you have done four damage to everyone. FOUR DAMAGE!!

Everyone hates when I start Popping off and Saying, "Everyone Take Four"

The worse part is; if you notice, I do not have enough Red mana Symbols to make Purphoros a creature. He's an Indestructable Enchantment.

INDESTRUBTIBLE!! ENCHANTMENT!!

Impact Tremors is a very good lite version of Purhporos.

Plan B:

Just Aggro. I have an army of Tokens and good Aggro Vampires.

Plan B.2:

Gods forbide I actually cast Edgar... The Table was already dead, they just did not realize it. I think I have had to enact Plan B three times (Maybe) since I bought the initial precon.

Plan C:

Exsanguinate-ing everyone for what is left of their life. If someone is running a Lifegain deck, then Sorin Markov will drop them down a peg. I can't tell you how many times people have freaked out at a table that someone's Oloro Deck popped off and is at 235+ life (No Joke, this actually happened in a league game) and I just go "Hold my Proverbial beer... Cast Sorin, Drop you to 10. Cast three Vampires, everyone take 12."

So, I get a lot of comments about how I fold to a boardwipe. Let me show you how much I card about being boardwiped...

(Absolute silence over my field of f***s)

I Live for boardwipes because my board going away hurts everyone more than it hurts me. usually some sort of Blood Artist effect is on the field so everyone is losing tons of life, and then afterwards since my deck is so low to the ground I am able to build up faster.

Deck Breakdown

Finishers (Plan C)

Sorin Markov To often have I been at a table with nearly everyone else near death and one player (that isn't me) is to high on life to die with everyone else in one foul drop of cheap eminence triggers. Sorin has to often fixed that problem. Yes I can use his +2 ability. If I use him for anything but a way to deal with high life totals, then I'm just showing off and playing with my food. Sorin is so good!

Exsanguinate This is a good end game finisher, if I'm flooded on lands and not creatures this is a good way to end the game. The is also good to stablize my life total if something has gone wrong and I'm low on life.

Aggro (Plan B)

Drana, Liberator of Malakir Drana's Flying keyword is the true MVP of the card. I know what your thinking, " has he read the rest of the card?" Yes. Yes I have. putting counters on my chumps that survived attacking is cool, but noticed I said CHUMPS. I expect them to die, because if I'm going aggro I will usually have Sanctum Seeker on the field (see below).

Sanctum Seeker If I am going to aggro, I want to aggro with as much value as possible. being able to attack with 5 vampires and not caring if they connect because the declaration of attacks made everyone lose 5 life and I gain 5 is pure value, and hey! they might even connect! lol

Vicious Conquistador The Conquistador and the Tracker are the same effect. good was to be symmetrical in the early game. Everyone is losing life so it's fair.

Pulse Tracker See Conquistador

Tokens Matter (Plan A)

Purphoros, God of the Forge the MVP, the GOAT, the best damn card of the deck! what ever you want to call him, this god is a beast. An indestructible enchantment that will most likely never go away and with every cast of a vampire will hit all my opponents for four. I cannot begin to tell you how good this card is.

Impact Tremors Purphoros lite, 'nuf said.

Spot Removal

Oblation With the green and black recursion, sometimes it's best to put a problem out of reach, sure they get a consolation prize, I got the problem gone. Also, sometimes your a pitch and needed some card draw. hitting a token can surprisingly be worth it.

Chaos Warp See Oblation, this is also good for gambling something relevant to the field. I have done this when someone Vows a relevant creature. Since I have tutors, losing a card to the deck is perfectly fine. I can get them back later.

Path to Exile See Oblation, but I could also ramp if I absolutely needed to (I probably won't)

Swords to Plowshares See Oblation, but with life game.

Artifact/Enchantment Removal

Rakdos Charm the second MVP of the deck. I have killed a horde deck that went infinite, and watched as their field kills them. Once, during League I did wait for everyone else to scoop, he got his 2 points for player kills, and I got my 3 for player kills and the win.

Return to Dust when you absolutely need to remove a problem enchantment or artifact.

Boardwipes

Wrath of God I am extremely picky with my boardwipes, I do not want any boardwipe over 4 CMC, after 4 it's all diminishing returns.

Settle the Wreckage In a league game I was playing a Bant Enchantress deck, and was basically going to die the next turn one of my opponent got the chance to swing at me, but first he had to kill our other opponent that had potential answers but was tappedout. Dude swings all out, the other guy is about to scoop. I go, " Oh F*** if he dies, I die. He needs to live long enough for me to find an answer (which was to draw a enchantress effect and combo off). Settle the Wreckage your board?" After a few minutes of table flipping, I got to my turn drew the literal one card I needed and killed both of them. Moral of the Story Kill steal is technically wrong, unless it was needed to live long enough to answer. That is what this card does. A lopsided boardwipe, and I love it.

Winds of Abandon Wrath to Exile? It's a Wrath of God if wrath were a Path to Exile, Yes! If you can find it and have the room in your deck, run this thing.

Tutors

Increasing Ambition A Tutor you can cast a second time in a pinch.

Diabolic Tutor A four drop tutor yes, but it's still really good. Even for sorcery speed

Demonic Tutor Yes. a 2 drop tutor with the only draw back being sorcery speed. Always run this.

Forerunner of the Legion It's a vampire which means it triggers Eminence. It also tutors for another vampire. Obviously I'm going to run it lol. seriously though the ability to play it, then get another cheap vampire is really good with Purphoros out. that would be 8 potential damage.

Draw

Read the Bones Filters, Draws, cost me 2 life.

Sensei's Divining Top Filters my top deck

Champion of Dusk vampires matter that draws me cards.

Skullclamp In a Aristocrats deck, the abilty to maximize value off of a sacrifice is always important. Also ista-kills tokens for immediate value.

Mana Rocks

Sol Ring Goo old Sol Ring, I think only my old Karametra enchantress is the sole deck I didn't run it.

Boros Signet "Land, Sol Ring, Signet" the best turn one. Signets are good and cheap. perfect for the early game ramp.

Orzhov Signet See Boros Signet

Rakdos Signet See Boros Signet

Arcane Signet See Boros Signet

Vampire Lords

Stromkirk Captain Lord effect with he benefit of adding First strike to my creatures, can't go wrong.

Legion Lieutenant Good generic lord, and a 2 drop. Perfect for this deck.

Captivating Vampire The lord effect comes in second to the secondary effect. just casting this card gets me two vampires, gods forbid I cast 2 creatures previously so that I have 6 on the board. now I can (And have) taken any one else's commander or MVP creature.

Edgar, Charmed Groom   It's a second Edgar!! and a Vampire lord that recurs himself in three turns. How sweet is that?!

Utility

Bloodghast A reoccuring nightmare for aristocrats and a can trigger Purphoros often.

Bloodline Necromancer Recurring vampires... on a vampire. For the value.

Twilight Prophet I can easily get the city's blessing and start the draw engine going.

Bloodcrazed Paladin One of the many reasons I love board wipes. There is always another vampire.

Vona, Butcher of Magan For when you need to nuke something, on a vampiric stick.

Anje, Maid of Dishonor New Utility card, with all the creatures entering the battlefield I am able to create a godless amount of Blood Token, then with an excess land I draw I am able to discard it for more card advantage.

Vedalken Orrery Lets pop off on someone else's turn.

Lightning Greaves Should be in every deck.

Anointed Procession For when hitting everyone for 4 can be hitting everyone for 6...

ETB/ LTB, the Bread and Butter

Blood Seeker Two mana ETB value engine. Lets start the life loss as ETB

Elenda, the Dusk Rose The more things that die, the more that come in after another boardwipe.

Falkenrath Noble A 4 CMC "lets get some value off that Altar or Aristocrat"

Blood Artist The 2 CMC version of Falkenrath Noble

Cordial Vampire Like Drana, but better since I'm more intrested in Altars and Aristocrats.

Vindictive Vampire Another Falkenrath Noble

Cruel Celebrant Another Blood Artist.

Aristocrats/Sacs

Anowan, the Ruin Sage Since I have no non-vampires that could be sacrificed, this is a lopsided attrition

Butcher of Malakir a Grave Pact on a vampiric stick.

Phyrexian Altar Be still my dead heart, I can sacrifice my tokens to keep playing more vampires.

Yahenni, Undying Partisan Just a good card, I can survive a boardwipe and pump her up all by sacrificing already an already dead board.

Viscera Seer To filter the top deck

Indulgent Aristocrat Incase I need to pump up for plan B.

Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter An aristocrat on a vampire body, and removal.

Pitiless Pontiff For when I need some creatures to survive a board wipe.

Vampires Matter

Malakir Bloodwitch A great life gain/drain that cares about how many vampires I have.

Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord Utility

Herald's Horn Makes my vampires cheaper and helps get more vampires off the top deck.

Just Good Vampires

Knight of the Ebon Legion Literally the only reason I put him in is because I pulled him foil, in a promo pack and went, "Well, it's a one drop vampire that does things, and he's shiny... Guess I need to find room." LOL

Vampire Nighthawk Need I say more? This card can go in every black deck and be good, and as a vampire? Terrifying.

Gifted Aetherborn A Baby Nighthawk? well see above...

Vampire of the Dire Moon Toddler Nighthawk? You got it, see above.

The Maybeboard:

I thank everyone for the recommendations. With how hard it is to find room for so many cards (I would love to put Damnation,Day of Judgment, and Damn in here, along with maybe some more Draw). I will Address all the card options everyone has given me that I Like.

Harsh Mercy: Yeah man! I could Roll with this! I'll have to find one. Solid Choice, and fits in my boardwipe CMC criteria (See Olivia's Wrath).

Olivia's Wrath: So... If you notice, all the Boardwipes I would want in this deck all have something in common. They are all four drops. A five drop boardwipe is a huge commitment for this deck... and I kinda can't do it guys...

Patriarch's Bidding a Rise from the Dark realms for five? At the cost of all the other Tribal decks getting the same... this is tempting. If this cast them all for free, I would windmill slap this card.

Reconnaissance:I really Like this card, I could see my self putting this in one day. At worse put it into my Ghave deck.

Scapegoat: I am on the fence for this card. Not sure about it.

Shared Animosity:This card... Man, this card is a absolute B**** to find. By the time I had the option, this thing was already refined to the point that going Aggro was when things went wrong... and they don't go wrong.

Teferi's Protection:So this card did come in the Precon, I did not really like it that much (Let's Face it, we all hate thinking about how Phasing works), so I pulled it out and put it in a Esper Deck. It is still in that deck, and I want a second copy to put back into Edgar one day.

Top Ranked	Achieved #60 position overall 2 years ago Achieved #52 position in Commander / EDH 2 years ago Achieved #1 position in Commander / EDH Aristocrats 1 year ago
Date added	7 years
Last updated	7 months
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	13 - 0 Mythic Rares 45 - 0 Rares 28 - 0 Uncommons 9 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.04
Tokens	Blood, City's Blessing, Treasure, Vampire 1/1 B, Vampire 1/1 W, Vampire 1/1 WB
Folders	VAMPS, EDH Decks, mtg decks, Nice ideas, Intriguing Decks, other decks, Neat, Vampire, fun, Done